It was a weird night in Brooklyn for the Nets on Friday – with superstar Kevin Durant initially kept out of the game, then admitted, and eventually removed in the third quarter due to the NBA’s health and safety protocols.
In the end, the Toronto Raptors beat the Nets 123-117 behind 33 points from Pascal Siakam.
Durant then released the two-word message ‘Free me’ on Twitter and later tore up the NBA for what he described as ‘Wack a – PR tactics’, after the league issued a statement on his removal.
“Yo @nba,” Durant written, “your fans are not dumb !!!! You can not deceive them with your Wack a– PR tactics.”
He was reacting to the expression “abundance of caution” that the NBA used in a statement on the matter after the game.
According to the NBA statement, posted by author Shams Charania, Durant tested negative for the coronavirus’ three times in the last 24 hours’, but the person he came in contact with ‘had an unconvincing test result shortly before the game. ‘
POTENTIAL NBA ALL-STAR MATCH BACK ‘STUPID’ TO KEEP DURING PANDEMY, SK KINGS STAR DE’AARON FOX
The person’s test led to the delay that Durant entered the match. When the contact came back positive later in the game, Durant was removed.
Toronto Raptors ‘Pascal Siakam (43) and Chris Boucher (25) defend against Brooklyn Nets’ Kevin Durant (7) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, February 5, 2021 in Brooklyn, NY (Associated Press)
“Once the test was positively confirmed, Durant was removed from the game out of a plethora of caution, and contact detection is underway to determine if he was in close contact with the positive individual.”
Friday was Durant’s first game against the Raptors since breaking his Achilles tendon in the 2019 NBA Finals while a member of the Golden State Warriors. According to The Associated Press, he entered as a reserve for the first time in his NBA career in 867.
CLICK HERE FOR FULL CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE
The Nets then trailed by 17 points to take the lead, but could not do without the NBA’s no. 2-pointer does not hold.
Kyle Lowry added 30 points and seven assists for the Raptors. Siakam had 11 rebounds and six assists.
Joe Harris scored 19 points and James Harden had 17 points and 12 shots for the Nets.
Durant finished with eight points, after scoring 20 or more in each of his first 17 games, his longest series to start a season in his career.